For Real
by Erin Hartson
Summary: Belatedly posting a Dublin Kiss one-shot. Didn't post b/c in my version they rehearse! Now I think, well you can never have too much Crisscolfer. AU is OK. Short and suggestive but not explicit.


**1 Rehearsal**

They were still in London winding down after the last show there when Darren took Chris aside and made his finale "proposal".  
>"So, Dublin," he began.<br>Chris looked suddenly dubious. "It's payback time isn't it?"  
>"You betcha." Darren answered.<br>Chris sighed, "Why are you discussing it with me? Why don't you just surprise me and see if I laugh so much I step out of character? See if I crack?"  
>"Believe me, I would prefer to do it that way, Chris," Darren answered, "but I don't want any future actors I work with to worry that I'm going to pull an Adrian Brody on them. Respect requires that I give you fair warning. Dublin is chap-stick city."<br>Chris' eyes widened. "Kissing. Blaine is going to be kissing Kurt? Damn I knew I'd been pushing you but there are a million things you could do instead, do you have to?"

Kissing Darren was actually no hardship but Chris didn't relish the huge live audience sharing the moment.

"The internet is unanimous, man. It's gotta be a kiss."  
>"The internet," Chris muttered rolling his eyes. "It's full of perverts."<br>Darren paused. Was Chris really not okay with this? He was about to broach the question when Chris spoke with one of his own: "Have you checked with Ryan?"  
>"I will,"Darren answered. "But I'm pretty sure he'll agree. Naya told me Santana's going to pop up on stage and give Brittany a peck for the last night - Ryan's idea."<br>"Right. Okay." Chris said resigned.  
>"Hey," Darren spoke. "I'm not going to do it if you're seriously against it. I just thought, you've been pulling out all the stops - calling me Stedman even - I've got to answer that. They're boyfriends. Brittany keeps asking Blaine to make out with her. In the narrative of the skit it makes sense that Blaine would kiss Kurt."<br>"The narrative of the skit?" Chris chortled. "That's a good one. Nothing about this tour makes sense. New Directions loses at Nationals but sell-out the Staples centre? Go on an international tour? Don't try to use logic about it at least, or tongue for that matter!"  
>Darren laughed. "Now Chris, you're acting as petrified as Kurt. But seriously. Is this a problem for you?"<br>Chris met Darren's eye. "Look I don't have a problem with Kurt and Blaine kissing, of course I don't. It's just the live thing. And not being in control. You know I'm a control freak, and a perfectionist. When we did Original Song we had a lot of chances to get it right - plus music and editing. I don't want to look stupid in front of all those people."  
>"This from the guy who kicks his legs in the air and proposes to me every night," Darren teased.<br>Chris smiled "I know, and does the Single Ladies Dance in a fucking leotard." Chris was laughing at himself but Darren couldn't let that one slide.  
>"Now Chris, you don't look stupid doing the Single Ladies Dance each night. You fucking own that song. You look hot as hell. If you ever did look on the fan sites you'd know there's thousands of girls wishing they were gay men every time they look at those clips."<br>"If you say so Darren. But look, what if we both lean our heads the same way or something. The Single Ladies Dance, and each one of my proposals have had plenty of rehearsal in my hotel room, even if they were a complete surprise to you."  
>"No problem. We can rehearse it. Maybe workshop it too 'cos I haven't fully planned how and when anyway - I needed to check if you're bringing any outrageous props on stage or anything."<br>Chris smirked. "Not on the last night. I'm just reading a poem."  
>Darren groaned. "You're gonna kill me. Is it Shakespeare? No, wait, who's that Irish poet? I should know this."<br>"Darren, please!" Chris put on an offended Kurt face. "I do all my own material. I've had this written since Chicago."  
>Darren shook his head, unsurprised. "I can't wait."<br>"Well you'll have to," Chris snapped. "I'm not rehearsing the poem with you. Just the, you know, the kiss."  
>Darren smirked again. "Okay. That's fine. So no props …"<br>"Maybe a sheet of paper," Chris interrupted. Of course I can remember the lines but I think Kurt would have it written out. Do you want me to hand it down to the stage hand after I finish the poem?"  
>"Yep. Excellent," Darren responded. "So, I think I should let you get all the standard lines out which means going down on one knee but instead of the whole Lauren Lopez routine (which you know I love) what about if you jump up in excitement when you say 'join glee club'. Then you'll be on your feet for the kiss."<br>Chris pouted a bit but agreed and practised a few times jumping up from the kneeling position in a kind of star jump. If he wasn't so fit and athletic from all his dancing it would have been nearly impossible. But he managed it with appropriate flair and Darren cheered him on, impressed.  
>"Alright we've got that part sorted," Chris said. "What about, the, uhm next bit?"<br>Darren noticed Chris' nervousness but kindly overlooked it.  
>"Well I have a couple of possible ideas," he said. "One is if we get the lighting guys in on it and we kind of move right out to the side of the stage. I thought maybe we could act like we were really going at it and they just drop the lights off from us and go straight to Cory's song. And then when he's working the stage and the spot follows him it picks up us still making out like crazy maybe with my hair all messy or even if I'm holding you and you've got your legs wrapped round my waist … what do you think?"<br>Chris looked stunned. "That would be at least two full minutes of kissing!"  
>"Yeah," Darren said. "It would be great. I mean, it would look really good and the fans would love it."<br>"You do realise we'll be in a Catholic country?" Chris asked.  
>"But Glee is all about …" Darren began before Chris interrupted him.<br>"Ryan would never go for that. Besides I don't really want to steal Cory's moment. That solo is important for him."  
>"Shit, you're right," Darren admitted, running his hand through his hair as he mentally went back to the drawing board. "What about this: I keep going with the lines and when you say 'wear another blazer' I kind of come at you slowly," (at this point Darren started acting out what he was suggesting putting a sexy heated look on as he approached Chris who licked his lips, nervously.<br>"Like stalking your prey," Chris whispered.  
>"Yeah," Darren growled softly eyes totally intent on Chris' lips. "And I say my line -"<br>"You love the blazer," Chris said quietly staring back at Darren and bringing his hands up against Darren's chest.  
>"Yeah," Darren said, "And then …"<br>"Yeah," breathed Chris closing the distance between their mouths.  
>It was hot in this room, Darren thought. I'm having trouble breathing. That's why I'm clinging to Chris … and he's clinging to me. But he didn't know which of them moaned he just knew that Chris' no tongue rule was broken and their bodies were closer than they'd been the last time they …<br>Chris stepped back leaving Darren bereft.  
>Chris was staring at him lips swollen looking frightened as hell.<br>"I don't think we should do it like that," Chris said.  
>Darren felt something tear inside him.<br>"It's ok Chris. Ah, look, we don't really need to rehearse any more. How about Kurt just stand still, like he's surprised and I, that is, Blaine will do the work. Don't worry about which way to tilt your head. Just look straight ahead and I will grab you and … and press our lips together … (did he just hear Chris whimper?) … and I'll count to three and let go. It will be quite chaste but if I move towards you quickly it will look passionate too. Ok?"  
>Darren was really frightened Chris was going to back out completely. He didn't know what the hell just happened before but he was still feeling all sorts of feelings and he knew he couldn't push Chris any further.<br>"Yeah," Chris said, then blushed. "I mean okay that's fine. Count to three. Got it."  
>"Okay," Darren said. "Okay." And when he walked away from Chris: "Fuck!"<p>

**2 Missing His Cue**

Naya and Heather left the stage. Darren knew he should have reminded Chris of the plan before the show but he was worried Chris would back out. "Is this ethical," he had wondered. And another part of him thought, "He'll remember. It's the last night. It's for the fans."  
>Kurt started speaking and pulled the page with the poem out. "Aha," Blaine thought. "Let's hear Kurt's literary masterpiece."<br>"Blaine Warbler Anderson," Kurt said, "I have never loved another. Except for last year when I was in love with my step-brother."  
>Blaine froze and started to disappear. Darren smirked on the inside but he was getting a bit suspicious of what was coming next.<br>"I admire you almost as much as i admire the late Alexander Mcqueen, You squint when you sing," Chris/Kurt read.  
>Darren relaxed a bit and did a squint gesture as the audience cheered. He didn't think Kurt would have joked with Blaine about being in love with Finn but things were back on track - Kurt was all about fashion.<br>"How I've missed our impromptu performances in the Dalton Academy halls, the rooms, the bleachers, where the hell were all the teachers?"  
>Darren gave a shrugging gesture for the audience but he was feeling some disquiet. Chris' poem was teetering on a fine line between celebrating their fictional characters and acknowledging the show as an entertainment phenomenon - which left open the possibility that Darren and Chris themselves would earn a mention.<br>"We've seen everything eye to eye, all the pain, all the hurt, at least we did until my last growth spurt."  
>Darren didn't mind a bit of teasing about his height. He bobbed up and down on the spot as the audience cheered.<br>"We've shared so many intimate moments, memories that shine and glitter, just the two of us, facebook, myspace, tumblr and twitter," Chris read gleefully.  
>Darren felt the butterflies return. This was not what he'd expected. Chris might have exaggerated Kurt's traits during the tour to the point of ridiculousness but he was usually quite dedicated to staying in character. If this was Chris and Darren up here joking about the tv show they were on, then the skit was something different than he knew how to handle.<br>"Since we've met it's been absolute heaven, for your Emmy consideration, 2011," Chris continued.  
>Darren swallowed smiling vaguely for the crowd. Was Chris saying it was heaven since he met Darren? He hoped so. He told himself not to worry so much. Everything Chris had said so far was harmless. Darren had pushed the memories of their 'rehearsal' aside for the last couple of days. It was easy to go back to being Darren and Chris - friends and costars. He thought that was what Chris wanted. He listened as Chris read another line and mimed a punch to go along with Chris' words again feeling things were manageable.<br>"I'm so thankful to have found a partner as talented as me, and forever we shall be, unless the writers change things in Season 3."  
>He doesn't have any idea how I feel, Darren thought as Chris handed his page down to a waiting assistant and proceeded to kneel. Chris was half-in half-out of character but due to the line he had crossed Darren looked at him seeing Chris, only Chris and being in that moment Darren, not Blaine. He wondered if one day Chris might really kneel before him, in private, and make a proposal.<br>He was expecting Chris to jump up ready for their kiss. The one that would not be Kurt and Blaine but Darren and Chris. But Chris must have forgotten and he went on with Kurt's usual gymnastics.  
>"Get up! Come here!" he hissed urgently and Chris did so, looking … as beautiful as he always did.<br>Darren steeled himself to kiss another man for the first time in front of a huge screaming audience.  
>"You had me at Emmy," he said and moved straight in.<br>"Oh Chris," he thought. "You have no idea."  
>It wasn't what it should have been. Could have been. Blaine was nowhere in sight but Darren forced himself to stick to the plan and count to 3 releasing Chris who laughed happily and started swooning around the stage.<br>Darren pulled himself together saying words that did not belong to him. But then Chris interrupted with his cheeky, "wear another blazer" quip.  
>Darren moved closer to where Chris was lying on the stage and squatted down to meet his eyes. "We've been over this," he said staring hard into Chris' eyes. "You love the blazer."<p>

Remember Chris, he mentally pleaded. Remember how it was when we rehearsed. Remember you weren't the only one who felt something. Don't be afraid. Don't hide behind Kurt anymore.

**3 After the show**

They had made their final bows. They all gathered and cheered themselves backstage. Someone opened a bottle of bubbly. Darren grabbed Chris' arm and yanked him into an empty dressing room.  
>Chris looked startled and then nervous as Darren stared at him.<br>"Oh, sorry about forgetting to jump up," Chris said quickly.  
>"Chris, don't even," Darren said. "If you wanted me to kiss you again you could have just asked. You know I like to keep my private life private."<br>"Darren?" Chris asked shakily as Darren moved in closer and caressed Chris' lips with his thumb. "It was an act …".  
>"No," Darren replied firmly. "Blaine and Kurt aren't contending for the Emmys. Blaine and Kurt are not aware that they are discussed at length on facebook, myspace, tumblr and twitter. You wrote that poem to amuse me. ME. Darren Criss. And a fucking lot of people just saw Darren Criss kissing Chris Colfer. You shouldn't have done that in public. I've wanted to kiss you. And I think you know it. Making it happen on stage was cowardly though. Because then it couldn't go further. Like it will now."<p>

Chris looked frightened but Darren could also see more. He could SMELL more. Arousal. Desire. Darren closed the distance and kissed Chris again but this time, this time he didn't stop.

And if their cast-mates noticed that the two arrived late together to the after-party both looking tousled and VERY pleased with themselves … well it was worth it.


End file.
